New CAR Government Taking Shape

Newly parliamentary-elected interim President of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba-Panza walks into the National Assembly prior to her swearing-in ceremony in the capital Bangui, Jan. 23, 2014.

BANGUI, C.A.R.— The Central African Republic's new interim president, Catherine Samba-Panza, faces massive challenges after more than a year of political unrest and inter-religious violence in the country. On Tuesday, the interim leader and her prime minister announced the names of the ministers who will serve in the new government.

At her swearing-in ceremony last week, the president promised a government of technocrats. She also said the new government’s priority would be to disarm and demobilize all the armed groups in the country and ensure they re-enter civilian life.

Human rights activist Thierry Konde, who heads a network of activists in the C.A.R., said the president has delivered on the first of her promises.

The new ministers really are technocrats, he said. They know their dossiers, and while there might be some people criticizing them already, he believes they can really achieve something and should be given the chance to do so.

Out of 20 ministers, only about six were ministers in previous governments. Seven are women, a record for the C.A.R. The women are not just there for the décor, added Konde. They are all experts in their respective fields.

The influx of women has pleased Marie Veronique Manda Kondji, a midwife.

It’s the beginning of a reign of women, she thinks. She feels that a woman can represent everyone, that a woman is the symbol of softness and smiles and that a woman can also act as a mother for the nation.

The government also includes three ministers who were in the largely Muslim Seleka rebel alliance that took power in Bangui last March, and one minister associated with the largely Christian or animist anti-Balaka militia that has been fighting the Seleka.

Konde comments that it is a good idea, at this stage, to have people from the militias involved in the government.

One of the three ex-Seleka ministers has been appointed senior Minister of State, meaning he is No. 3 in the hierarchy after the prime minister. The anti-Balaka’s man, Leopold Narcisse Bara, comes 19th in the hierarchy as Minister of Youth and Sport.

Joachin Kokate, a leading spokesman and self declared coordinator of the anti-Balaka, which have killed many Muslim civilians in the past two months, told VOA that anti-Balaka members don’t feel the Minister for Youth and Sport represents them. However, he added, they understand that the choice has been made, and they must move on because the Central African people are watching them - so is the international community, very closely.

Maybe Bara was considered acceptable because, according to Thierry Konde, he is not known to have been inciting ethnic and religious hatred, unlike some of the other anti-Balaka. Konate told VOA that now is the time for messages of peace.

At this time we must speak only in terms of pacification, he said. As for those who will try to incite people or divide the population, the United Nations will take the necessary measures from this point onwards.

Kokate said the anti-Balaka consists partly of ex-soldiers who want to be incorporated into the army, with officer ranks in some cases, and partly of civilians, many from rural areas, who want help to go home. He acknowledged that the Seleka come from similar backgrounds and said that so long as they are Central Africans, they should also be offered the chance to enroll in the army.

The new Minister of Defense is a relatively young man and a serving soldier, Thomas Theophile Tchimoanga. He will have the difficult task of rebuilding the C.A.R. army and deciding which militia fighters to put where.

Encouragingly, he seems to have support from the army hierarchy.

Politician Joel Yangongo, the son of the veteran general and politician Xavier Sylvestre Yangongo, is optimistic that Tchimoanga is ready for the task.

Joel Yangongo said the new defense minister is young but has a very good reputation with the Central African military, has the skills required, was trained at a military college and knows all about the army.

The anti-Balaka’s other main demand, according to Kokate, is that a sovereign national conference be held in the near future. However, he pointed out that this could wait until after the national elections.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, that his country could face further consequences to what he called its “already strained economy” if Moscow does not fully comply with a cease-fire in Ukraine. The two met, on Monday, on the sidelines of a U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, where Kerry outlined human rights violations in Russian-annexed Crimea and eastern Ukraine. VOA State Department correspondent Pam Dockins reports from Geneva.

Video

Diagnosing infections such as HIV requires expensive clinical tests, making the procedure too costly for many poor patients or those living in remote areas. But a new technology called lab-on-a-chip may make the tests more accessible to many. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Afghan officials have expressed concern over reports of a crackdown on Afghan refugees in Pakistan following the Peshawar school attack in December. Reports of mass arrests and police harassment coupled with fear of an uncertain future are making life difficult for a population that fled its homeland to escape war. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from Islamabad.

Video

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Ukraine, soldiers in the city of Mariupol fear that pro-Russian separatists may be getting ready to attack. The separatists must take or encircle the city if they wish to gain land access to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia early last year. But Ukrainian forces, many of them volunteers, say they are determined to defend it. Patrick Wells reports from Mariupol.

Video

As low oil prices and Western sanctions force Russia's economy into recession, thousands of Moscow restaurants are expected to close their doors. Restaurant owners face rents tied to foreign currency, while rising food prices mean Russians are spending less when they dine out. One entrepreneur in Moscow has started a dinner kit delivery service for those who want to cook at home to save money but not skimp on quality. VOA's Daniel Schearf reports.

Video

The United States and Cuba say they have made progress in the second round of talks on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties. Delegations from both sides met in Washington on Friday to work on opening embassies in Havana and Washington and iron out key obstacles to historic change. VOA’s Mary Alice Salinas reports from the State Department.

Video

One after another, presumptive Republican presidential contenders auditioned for conservative support this week at the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington. The rhetoric was tough as a large field of potential candidates tried to woo conservative support with red-meat attacks on President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. VOA Political Columnist Jim Malone takes a look.

Video

New Yorkers take pride in setting world trends — in fashion, the arts and fine dining. The city’s famous biannual Restaurant Week plays a significant role in a booming tourism industry that sustains 359,000 jobs and generates $61 billion in yearly revenue. VOA's Ramon Taylor reports.

Video

Issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, fracking and instability in the Middle East are driving debate in the U.S. about making America energy independent. Recently, the American Energy Innovation Council urged Congress and the White House to make expanded energy research a priority. One beneficiary of increased energy spending would be the Brookhaven National Lab, where clean, renewable, efficient energy is the goal. VOA's Bernard Shusman reports.

Video

There has been a surge of interest in the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, thanks in part to the Hollywood motion picture "Selma." Five decades later, communities in the South are embracing the dark chapters of their past with hopes of luring tourism dollars. VOA's Chris Simkins reports.

Video

With the end of summer in the Southern hemisphere, the Antarctic research season is over. Scientists from Northern Illinois University are back in their laboratory after a 3-month expedition on the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest floating ice sheet. As VOA’s Rosanne Skirble reports, they hope to find clues to explain the dynamics of the rapidly melting ice and its impact on sea level rise.

Video

A Lao dam project on a section of the Mekong River is drawing opposition from local fishermen, international environmental groups and neighboring countries. VOA's Say Mony visited the region to investigate the concerns. Colin Lovett narrates.